Basilea

Basilea (queen), in Greek mythology. Uranus had by a number of wives forty-five children. Of these Titsea alone gave him eighteen, who, from their mother, received the name of Titans. Basilea was the oldest, and also brought up her brothers. After her father had been translated among the gods, she undertook the government of the kingdom. She then (still a maiden), in order to leave the kingdom to children of the family, married her brother Hyperion, and by him became mother of Helios and Selene. The fear that Hyperion might ultimately draw the kingdom towards himself led the brothers to an atrocious act. They killed the husband, drowned Helios, and Selene, disheartened, threw herself from the top of the house. A dream comforted the unhappy mother. Helios made known to her that he and his sister had been placed as sun and moon in the heavens, and that the Titans would receive their just punishment. Basilea (thence called bona dea) told the people what had happened, and they then bestowed the names of her children upon the sun and moon. She finally became insane, and at death was taken among the deities.

Venus was often worshipped as Basilea, but without being identified with the subject of the above sketch. Basileus (king), in Greek mythology, was the surname of a number of gods — of Jupiter, of Neptune, of Apollo. Neptune especially was worshipped by this name at Troezene.